[Structural changes in proteins of the bacteriophage T4 basal plate resulting from the attachment of long fibrils].

The effect of the attachment of long tail fibers on the structure of proteins of the bacteriophage T4 baseplate was studied by digital processing of electron microscopic images. The attachment of the long fibers was found to result in dramatical changes of the proteins of the baseplate plag, while the wedges, to which the long fibers are attached, undergo only slight changes. We studied the baseplates with one to six attached fibers and found that the attachment of one fiber resulted in the change of the entire baseplate, although the wedge located in the vicinity of the fiber attachment changed to a greater extent. Only after the attachment of three and more fibers the changes of the same kind occurred through the entire baseplate.